Concerns are growing in southern California over a cluster of “exceptionally rare” cancer cases that has sickened multiple children in a suburban community.
Families living in the Orange county neighborhood of Ladera Ranch, home to about 26,000 people, have reported that six children in the community were diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, Katrina Foley, the vice-chair of the county board of supervisors, said in a statement.
Ewing sarcoma is a rare cancer that primarily affects bone and soft tissue and is largely seen in young adults and children.
At a community meeting this week, hundreds of residents turned up to voice their concerns, including several who spoke about additional cancer cases in adults and pets. While the American Cancer Society reports there are “no known lifestyle-related or environmental causes” of Ewing sarcoma, many residents believe the cancer cases are linked to the use of herbicides and pesticides.